The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    cmaukonen's picture

    Why Egypt Matters - An Historical perspective.

    By cmaukonen on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 12:54pm |

    We - and by we I mean the Western world and most especially the USA - have a nasty habit of forgetting some of the past history that makes us uncomfortable. This is especially true when it comes to the Middle East. The current situation in Egypt can trace its roots back to just after WWII. When Egypt became a state separate from Sudan and the monarchy was overthrown.

    The second president of Egypt was Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein. This Wikipedia entry on him is well worth reading as he was the head of Egypt up until his death in 1970. This is what makes Egypt so important because he was not only the head of Egypt for so long, but was also the main mover and shaker in the Arab world for this time - from 1956 - 1970. His Vice President was Anwar Sadat who became president after Nasser's death. But Sadat was not wholly loved by the Egyptian people due to his friendliness with the west, the elimination of a lot of Nasser's social policies and most of all the peace treaty with Israel. 

    The current political party in Egypt, the NDP, is simply the continuation of the original party established by Nasser but under a different name. Basically made up of military and ex-military men.  Nasser himself was very anti-imperialistic and fought hard against western hegemony.  Not only in Egypt but throughout the Arab world forming the United Arab Republic (UAR) and seeing the formation of Israel as another attempt at this hegemony. He was also instrumental in nationalizing the Suez Canal as well as a number of Egyptian industries. He was friendly with and accepted help from the Soviet Union though also suspicious of their intentions as well.

    Our rewriting of history include the 6 day war with Israel which Israel began.

    In early 1967, Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin sent Nasser a warning through Sadat, who was visiting Moscow, that Israel was about to carry out a large-scale assault against Syria. More warnings followed in the next few months, and King Hussein, aware of the intelligence situation, cautioned Nasser in April not to be dragged into a war. That same month, pressure on him to act by Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the PLO, as well as the general Arab populace, mounted after an aerial battle between Syria and Israel resulted in the downing of six Syrian planes. Convinced that Israel was determined to attack Syria, he asked UN Secretary-General U Thant to withdraw UNEF forces from Sinai. On 23 May, Egyptian troops moved into Sharm el-Sheikh and Nasser ordered the Straits of Tiran closed to Israeli shipping. After the blockade, he gave a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 29 May saying, "the issue was not UNEF or closing the Strait of Tiran; the issue is the rights of the Palestinian people."[108] This was the same message delivered a week earlier during a visit to an air base in the Sinai. The speeches signaled that Nasser believed war was inevitable.[108]

    So when I hear how Egypt has been our friend and ally for so long, I am aghast. Since this is at best an exaggeration.   The one thing that I can see being a big concern for the US is not some Islamic government in Egypt, but the rise of a person of Nasser's power and influence with the rest of the Arab world. 

    The protests in Egypt are in my opinion long overdue.  The subtle and not-so-subtle imperialist actions of the US are now being challenged from the ground up. This has got to be causing some people to piss in the pants big time.

    Comments

    One more observation. This country really hates it when other countries nationalize things like oil and industry because this is effectively giving the Wall Street Robber Barons the finger and a great big F*ck You.


    by cmaukonen on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 2:23pm

    You know I still do not understand why Hugo Chavez is still alive. I think the corps just figured out a way to make money off of the guy anyway.

    Kissinger would have had him killed, for sure.

    I believe Cheney wanted him dead.


    by Richard Day on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 3:58pm

    Spent awhile this morning checking recent news on the Suez Canal and reading up on its history. The canal, even more than its relationship with Israel, is what gives the West a financial and strategic interest in Egypt's internal politics.  How crucial is it to present-day international shipping [not so much]  and to Egypt's economy [very much]?

    In the early 21st century the long route has enjoyed increased popularity because of increasing piracy in Somalia and high canal tolls 

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canal

    A strongman who proves to be not strong enough to secure such a strategic asset will not last long.  

    Also found this:  William Hamilton: Egypt: It's about the Suez Canal 

    The writer has decent credentials, if real.  I did not check so caveat lector. :)

     


    by EmmaZahn on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 4:25pm

    Well he jumps right in and blames the Muslim Brotherhood as the culprits, but doesn't offer a shred of evidence to support his position. Kinda reminds me of argument with a tea-bagger...a lot of talk with irrelevant facts juxtaposed in such a manner as to substantiate their rational for a situation that doesn't exist. Of course he immediate blames the MSM for steering the public away from the truth...oh so Palinesque. In my opinion, he never makes his case. He's more into agitating public anger against muslims than he is in giving thoughtful query. Beside, the title of the essay is about the canal which he never goes into any details in other than an honorable mention in passing towards to end. The essay comes across as if his credentials at the bottom of the essay is the only weight one needs consider when evaluating the facts he presents.


    by Beetlejuice on Thu, 02/03/2011 - 10:24am

    Speaking of historical importance, somebody just bombed one of Egypts most important museums.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/egypt-museum-protests_n_817801....

     


    by Richard Day on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 8:09pm

    <snark>I can't imagine who </snark>


    by cmaukonen on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 8:23pm